The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain
I had my apprehensions when I first saw their tv show on BBC2, presuming it to be a gimmick that two 'hairy' lads who ride motorbikes enjoy & like to cook fine food.
Whilst they do have beards and ride motorbikes, they're not just good cooks, they're fantastic cooks. I've used a couple of their recipes over the past few months & they've gone down a storm (& I'm no natural cook).
They're passionate about local food, local produce and using every part of an animal to create a highly flavoursome and spectacular dish.
Their recipes can be quite complicated, some have to be skipped altogether due to the difficult task of acquiring some of the ingredients, & they do usually involve a lot of ingredients but it's definately (or definitely, however way you want it) worth the effort, & I'm looking forward to rustling up some tasty three course meals over the coming winter months.
This is the first recipe I ever used of theirs & it went down incredibly well.
It's also in season so simply parfait.
Cinnamon & Apple Pork Belly with Mulled Cider Cabbage & Roast Almonds
University & the convenience of downloading just about anything on the internet has scuppered my once joyous trips to the library.
University left the library being a place only to visit during times of infinite stress, full of last minute revision sessions & essay deadlines long since passed. It was also an ugly, 60s-era building, all grey with long, thin slits as windows that really did resemble a prison.
My laptop is now full of tv nostalgia, Disney & Japanese Horror and an endless number of films I wish to watch but can never seem to be in the mood to watch any of them.
And so yesterday I got a pang of longing to flick through the crisp pages of a musky old book. New books, while lovely, don't have the same history as a previously read book, especially as I hate to see the first crease in a shiny new book. Although I love it once it's creased beyond belief.
It's all or nothing.
So today I trekked to my local library and how lovely it was to re-visit it once more. Whilst none of the books I wished to take out were available (it's a small library), I did discover a cook book I'd been wanting to look at for a while (Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain), a classic (All Quiet on the Western Front), a French book I bought on sale (The Fairy Gunmother), and a history book on Saigo Takamori (The Last Samurai).
So I suggest making a trip to the Library, and spend an evening relaxing with a glass of red wine, a cosy jumper and a good book.
Happy Reading.
